Croatia

The opposition Social Democrat, Ivo Josipovic, has won Croatia's presidential election by a wide margin.

Josipovic won 60.3% of the vote in the second round run-off, beating the mayor of Zagreb, Milan Bandic.

Correspondents say the result was expected, but the margin of victory even larger than polls had predicted, the BBC reported.

Josipovic has pledged to lead an "uncompromising fight against corruption" and to help the government complete EU membership talks this year.

Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor told reporters at the opening of a new maternity ward in Split on Monday she expected the issue of Croatian oil company INA's debt to the state to be dealt with by the end of this year.

Commenting on a conflict between Finance Minister Ivan Suker and public sector trade unions concerning the payment of Christmas bonuses, Kosor said she was aware that collective agreements had been signed and that she was confident a compromise solution would be reached.

FM Davutoğlu and Croatian Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration Jandrokovic addressed the media in Zagreb on Saturday. Turkey and Croatia have agreed to intensify contacts to draw up and implement common policies regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is plagued by simmering tensions over governance and power-sharing issues.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu paid an official visit to Croatia on Saturday and had talks with the country’s president, prime minister and foreign minister focusing on the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina. If Bosnia and Herzegovina’s consent is also given, then Turkey, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina could hold trilateral discussions on the issue in a similar way to what Turkey, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have been doing for a while, Davutoğlu said.